The prayer of a righteous man has great power in its working. Further, God has promised that he always hears the supplications of his people. In this Psalm, David begins his prayer to God as a member of the community of faith, “Hear a just cause, O Lord; attend to my cry! Give ear to my prayer from lips free of deceit!” Like many of the Psalms written by David, he is experiencing the struggle of living in an evil world and appeals to God to keep his way in it. Before making his case, he offers that the integrity of his heart be examined before God.
David was transparent in his prayer to God, thus “give ear to my lips free of deceit!”
Reflection: Are we being completely forthcoming in our prayers with God? If we are honest, sometimes we are not. If we have issues of shame or guilt centered around an issue or circumstance, we will often phrase our words in a way that doesn’t sound as bad to portray our actions and thoughts in a better light. We use this tactic in our communication with people; however, our prayer is fruitless when we approach God in this way. Remember, the Bible teaches two important things about God:
- He is omniscient. God knows everything. He knew all the secret thoughts and intentions of everyone involved in whatever situation we are praying about. Nothing is hidden from God (Heb 4:13). Further, God already knows what you have come to pray to him about before you ask (Mt 6:8).
- He is omnipresent. His presence is in every place and time. He is never absent in our lives and is witness to all things. For example, if in our prayer we are venting about a disagreement we had with a group of people……God already knows everything that was said, the thoughts and motivations (both spoken and secret) of every person involved. He already fully understands the entirety of the matter and is ready to give you and I the help we need.
Remember, because of these two truths, when we pray, we are not informing God of anything. Prayer is for our benefit to help us fellowship with God and know his will.
David invites God to examine his heart. He says, “…you have tested me, and you will find nothing;…” He is NOT saying that God will find no sin within him, because there is none who do not sin (Ecc 7:20, Rom 3:23). David directs God’s attention to his heart that resolved to live a pattern of life in service and obedience to God, for his words bear the fruit of such an attitude, “I have purposed that my mouth not transgress.” As a Christian, a growing love of God produces an increasing pattern of obedience in one’s life (Jn 14:15-17).
Blessings,
Dr. Jason S. Price, Th.D
www.springoflivingwaters.com